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Yahoo Fantasy Football Mock 2017, RDs 7-8: Ryan sparks QB value run

Matt Ryan stormed back with a vengeance in 2016. Will the Falcon continue his top-five flight? (AP)

With most free agents signed and the NFL Draft in the books, it’s time for fantasy owners to get back in the saddle, Yahoo mouthpieces included. Below is our first mock of the season – 12-teams, .5 PPR, all positions must be filled. Peruse, follow and ridicule, self-proclaimed fantasy savant.

73. Corey Davis, Ten, WR33 – Davis was the most well-rounded, NFL-ready WR in the draft, and I love his landing spot – he should start from Week 1 in what is looking like one of the better offenses in the league –Brandon Funston

74. Breshad Perriman, Bal, WR34 – Not many receivers can match his physical tools, now (in Year 3) it’s time to put it all together – Baltimore ignored the position in the draft despite the losses of Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken, which means Perriman is looking at a huge opportunity –Funston

75. Martellus Bennett, GB, TE8 – From one Hall of Fame quarterback to another. At age 30, tank shouldn’t be empty. –Scott Pianowski

77. Kyle Rudolph, Min, TE9 – Rudolph actually finished as the No. 3 TE in fantasy last year, and he led the position in red zone targets by a mile (25). Don’t be shocked by another top-five positional finish in 2017. –Andy Behrens

78. Hunter Henry, LAC, TE10 – Henry led all tight ends in TDs (8) in his first NFL season, a level of production that we almost never see from a rookie at this position. Expect a jump in usage this season, with another 7-9 spikes. –Behrens

79. Ben Roethlisberger, Pit, QB6 – Injuries and suspensions have hurt Big Ben’s numbers over the past two years, but with Lev Bell and Martavis Bryant back (plus the additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner – two of my fave rookie talents) his stats should rebound to 2014 form. –Liz Loza

80. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Hou, TE11 – Nearly 18 percent of the Hawkeye’s targets came in the red area of the field. Expect that number to go up with DeShaun Watson under center and Lamar Miller a year older. –Loza

81. Frank Gore, Ind, RB30 – I’m convinced Gore is an Avenger. You can’t kill the dude. He’s ancient, but he’s a strong bet to surpass 1,100 combined yards with 6-8 TDs. Marlon Mack would be a point of emphasis for this team a couple rounds later. –Brad Evans

82. Marcus Mariota, Ten, QB7 – Recall he was the second-most valuable passer in fantasy Weeks 5-12 last year. Add Corey Davis to the mix and a top-three finish is entirely reachable. –Evans

86. Russell Wilson, Sea, QB9 – Quarterback is as deep as ever. Wait on the position. And then wait some more. –3D

87. LeGarrette Blount, FA, RB31 – Still unsigned, but he was a touchdown scoring machine with the Pats last year. Rumored to land in either New York (Giants) and Detroit, he will dominate red-zone work no matter locale. –Evans

88. Kenneth Dixon, Bal, RB32 – His four-game suspension slashes the price, but he’s the most talented runner in the Baltimore backfield. Recall he ranked No. 7 among all RBs in juke rate last year. Consider him a top-flight bench stash. –Evans

89. Jameis Winston, TB, QB10 – The Bucs’ front office has surrounded Winston with talent, setting him up for a breakout in his third pro campaign. Upgrades at WR (DeSean Jackson and rookie Chris Godwin) plus the addition of TE O.J. Howard should allow the improvisational QB to extend plays and fluster defenses. –Loza

90. Kenny Britt, Cle, WR36 – Meh. Every draft needs a reclamation project. Britt managed over 1,000 yards with Goff under center in 2016, life in Believeland can’t get much worse. –Loza

91. DeSean Jackson, TB, WR37 – New team, same D-Jax. He’s kind of a one-trick receiver, but it’s an awesome trick. No one gets deep like DeSean. Expect another 1000 yards with a bump in TDs. –Behrens

92. Matt Forte, NYJ, RB33 – The Bilal zealots haven’t been able to wish him away. I’m obviously not getting peak Forte, but he still produced 1000-plus scrimmage yards with eight TDs last season. –Behrens

94. Cam Newton, Car, QB11 – Never been one of my guys, but now that the price has collapsed, I’ll consider a bargain-bin purchase. Has four finishes of QB4 or better. –Pianow

95. Philip Rivers, LAC, QB12 – He finished in QB1 territory in each of the past four seasons, and with the addition of rookie WR Mike Williams to an already well-stocked receiving corps, his arsenal has never looked better –Funston

96. Tyrell Williams, LAC, WR38 – Used his impressive size/speed blend to finish tied for first in 40-yard catches (6), sixth in 20-yard catches (19), and also clocked in at No. 13 at WR in fantasy points – I still expect him to be the Chargers’ top Williams for fantasy purposes. –Funston